While initial reports pointed at a launch on February 22, Barnes & Noble has just taken to the wires to officially announce the release of the new 8GB Nook Tablet. As expected the new Nook variant has a price tag to match its reduced memory capacity, and with both now selling for $199 the battle between the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire seems ready to heat up.

Meanwhile, the Nook Color’s price has been slashed to $169, offering frugal customers looking for an above-average (and easily hackable) eReader/tablet hybrid a solid way to go.